RAMBAN: The District Administration Ramban today launched a comprehensive drive to rehabilitate children in street situations, including those engaged in child labour and begging.
The initiative was conducted under the supervision of District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) Rahul Gupta, following directives from Deputy Commissioner Ramban, Baseer-Ul-Haq Chaudhary and led by Assistant Labour Commissioner, Amit Kumar, in collaboration with the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) Ramban.
The rescue team carried out surprise inspections across various business establishments in Ramban, including shops, restaurants, street stalls, dhabas, and workshops. Several minors were rescued during these inspections, highlighting the urgency and necessity of this drive.
The joint team comprised members from multiple agencies, including the Child Welfare Committee Ramban, Labour Department, District Child Protection Unit Ramban, Child Helpline Ramban, Health Department, Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) Ramban, District Police Ramban.
The team has mandated strict actions against those found violating child protection laws. This includes the cancellation of business registrations for establishments forcing children to work and initiating criminal proceedings against individuals involved in trafficking or forcing children into begging.
Chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee has urged the public to report any instances of child abuse, trafficking, or exploitation to the district child protection unit or by calling the Child Helpline at 1098. The team included Child Helpline Coordinator, Muddasar Jiral, Protection Officer DCPU, Rozy Akhter, CWC Member, Syed Adfar, Labour Inspector, Roop Sharma, Counsellor MCC, Lovepreet Singh, along with DCPU staff, medical personnel, and police officers, including lady constables.
The rescued children were produced before the CWC for rehabilitation and were provided temporary shelter at Palaash, a child care institute for boys in Ramban. The establishments found employing underage children have been warned and will face legal action under the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986.
The ALC emphasized that such drives will continue until the district is free from child labour and related issues.
The DCPO confirmed that hotspot zones have been identified throughout the district, and similar operations will be carried out in the future to ensure a sustained effort in protecting and rehabilitating vulnerable children.